The present invention relates to a copier, facsimile apparatus, printer or similar image forming apparatus and more particularly to a sorter, stapler, stapler with a sorter or similar finisher for use with an image forming apparatus.
A finisher is extensively used with an image forming apparatus for sorting, stapling or otherwise finishing papers or similar recording media formed with images. The finisher is usually mounted to one side of the image forming apparatus in an upright position and stands on the floor as the image forming apparatus.
To meet the increasing demand for a compact configuration, the above floor type finisher is reduced in height as far as possible and has its finishing section positioned in the vicinity of the floor. Papers formed with images are sequentially transferred from the image forming apparatus to the finisher. The papers are finished by the finisher while being conveyed through a preselected conveyance path and then driven out to a tray.
To reduce the possibility of a paper jam and required operation time, the conveyance path of the finisher should preferably be as short as possible. However, it is difficult to reduce the length of the conveyance path against the trend toward a floor type finisher and a compact configuration. In addition, the compact configuration requires the level of the tray to be lowered and therefore forces the operator to pick up the stapled papers in a bent position. Should the tray be positioned at a high level in order to solve the above problem, the length of the conveyance path would increase and would thereby aggravate the possibility of a paper jam and operation time.
On the other hand, a stapler is often arranged below the conveyance path in relation to path arrangements in the image forming apparatus and finisher. Generally, a staple cassette loaded with staples is removably mounted to the body of the stapler and replenished with staples, as needed. To mount, or dismount the cassette to or from the stapler body, the inside of the finisher is opened to the outside. However, the stapler is, in many cases, positioned below the conveyance path in the finisher, making it difficult to mount And dismount the staple cassette. Particularly, when the operator cannot see the position of the stapler body for mounting the cassette, the operator is apt to turn the cassette up side down and try to mount it to the stapler body, resulting in time--and labor--consuming work. Moreover, if the operator cannot determine whether or not the cassette has been accurately mounted, then the operator is likely to cause the finisher to operate together with the image forming apparatus even when the position of the cassette is not correct. This would bring about staple jams and other troubles and would obstruct repair.
Technologies relating to the present invention are also disclosed in, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos. 64-60561, 4-276495, 7-47783, 7-96685, and 8-337352.